The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR).

This was the major veterans’ organization after the war. It reached its largest membership in the 1890s with about 400,000 members. Below is a published history of the organization with biographical sketches of national and state officials:

By 1890, about 40 percent of Union veterans were members of the Grand Army of the Republic. The descriptive books of each GAR post usually indicate each member’s name, age, birthplace, residence, occupation, and enlistment and discharge information. Records of GAR posts and of other veterans’ organizations may be found in historical societies, state archives, and state libraries. The Family History Library has records for:

Illinois GAR unit records are held by the Lincoln Presidential Library, but they are not “complete.” In general, they are the quarterly reports sent to the headquarters by each post. They vary widely in what they contain. Some of the older posts have more extensive records. The earlier ones may include a charter, lists of members with age, occupation, and war service information. Possibly also place of birth. Some records include new members and the deaths of members. Most include a list of the current officers. In almost all cases, later records are much less informative than the earlier ones. Many posts have notices of closing. For a few posts we have some minutes or others papers. The date span of the collection is 1866-1939, but most of the post records do not begin until at least the mid-1870s. Search the online catalog of the Lincoln Presidential Library for GAR titles.

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Established in 1881, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War has no permanent headquarters. The society has a grave registration committee. Check the current edition of the "Encyclopedia of Associations" (Worldcat) for contact information.

This site includes a history of the organization, membership information, coming events, a Civil War ancestor registration project, grave registration project, state department (chapter) websites, and links to other related genealogical websites.